The Heretical Husband Is Too Good at Acting! - Chapter 2

Chen Mo had come out to his family two years ago. He carried far too many secrets, and his sexual orientation was the most insignificant of them all.

His primary motivation for coming out was to avoid the pressure of dating.

Even though Chen Mo was studying abroad thousands of miles away, his mother, Song Anfeng, treated him as if he were still living at home. She called every day to check on him, constantly dropping hints about finding a girlfriend. Whenever she encountered a suitable girl, she would find a way to get her photo and contact information, hoping Chen Mo would get to know her.

Chen Mo refused once or twice, but eventually, he just laid it out plainly: he liked men.

Chen Mo had known since high school that he was attracted to men, though he had never been in a relationship. He was decent-looking, a good student, and had a fairly cheerful personality; back then, many girls had slipped him love letters. However, Chen Mo felt nothing for them beyond classmate friendship. He had briefly harbored a crush on a tall boy he met while playing basketball.

That crush, however, ended abruptly the day he saw the boy happily accept a bottle of water from a girl.

Since then, Chen Mo hadn’t liked anyone else.

But he was completely certain of his orientation.

His reasoning was simple: there are no permanent secrets in the world. It was better to tell his parents while they were young and healthy rather than letting the bomb drop all at once later, causing a greater shock.

Furthermore, when it comes to family, distance lends enchantment. If he came out while living at home, a domestic revolution would be inevitable. From across the ocean, no matter how angry his parents got, they couldn’t reach him.

At most, they would be gloomy for a while.

Things unfolded exactly as Chen Mo had predicted.

Song Anfeng and Chen Siyuan were indeed angry for a period after learning their son was gay.

During that time, Chen Mo called them every day, acting exceptionally well-behaved and obedient. The two parents comforted each other at home, coaxing one another for two months until their anger dissipated.

If he liked men, he liked men. Being gay wasn’t exactly a rarity these days, especially since the country had passed the Same-Sex Marriage Act two years prior.

However, even if they temporarily accepted the fact, they had no interest in introducing a boyfriend to their son.

For two years, Chen Mo’s ears had been quite peaceful.

He never expected that after two years, his parents’ perspective would pull a 180-degree turn. They were actually arranging a blind date for him with a man!

Was this another form of “the devoted hearts of parents”?

Touched as he was, Chen Mo had no intention of falling in love or getting married.

He hadn’t told his parents or his sister about the multitude of secrets he carried, and he didn’t plan on telling anyone else.

That being the case, why bring someone else into his life just to cause trouble?

He couldn’t be too blunt in his refusal, so Chen Mo thought he would verbally agree for now and then find an opportunity to slip away after the New Year.

Living at home was comfortable, with meals and clothes provided.

But outside, he was free and answerable to no one!

Chen Mo had returned to the country on the day of the Preliminary New Year. After staying in the hospital for three days, the Lunar New Year was already upon them.

Blind dates and dinner parties could all wait; the priority was the New Year.

Chen Mo’s paternal grandparents had passed away years ago, and his maternal grandparents lived in a neighboring city with his uncle.

For the New Year, it was just the family of four.

The group was small, but they were all talkative, making it a lively affair.

The whole family went out to buy New Year’s goods, prepared the reunion dinner, and had a joyful holiday.

On the second day of the first lunar month, the family went to the neighboring city to pay New Year visits to his grandparents and uncle.

They stayed overnight and returned on the third day.

On the fourth day, Chen Siyuan and Song Anfeng went to visit clients.

Chen Mo and Chen Xiaomi stayed home.

Chen Papa had originally planned for both children to go, but Chen Mo used the excuse of wanting to sleep in, saying they should just take Chen Xiaomi.

In reality, he wanted to stay home alone to secretly look for where his passport was hidden.

No one knows a son better than his mother. Song Anfeng saw through his tricks and gave Chen Xiaomi a mission: “Stay home and keep your brother company.”

Turning her head, she whispered a warning: “Watch him closely. Don’t let him do anything bad.”

Chen Xiaomi was more than happy to oblige, staying on his heels like a shadow.

She was incredibly thorough. If Chen Mo went to the kitchen, she followed him to the kitchen. If Chen Mo went to the living room, she followed him to the living room.

When Chen Mo went to the bathroom, she waited in the hallway, holding a timer to clock him.

Chen Mo: “Hiss…”

After washing his hands and coming out, Chen Mo crouched down, looked into Chen Xiaomi’s eyes, and made a serious proposal: “Let’s not just stare at each other at home. Let’s go out and play.”

Chen Xiaomi jumped three feet high in joy: “Hooray!”

Chen Mo asked her, “Where do you want to go?”

Chen Xiaomi tilted her head, thought for a moment, and said, “The amusement park!”

Fine then.

The amusement park it was.

The siblings packed up a bit and headed out.

The family had two cars: a business van and a family sedan. His parents had taken the van, so Chen Mo found the keys to the sedan and headed to the garage with his sister.

Sitting in her child safety seat in the back, Chen Xiaomi asked worriedly, “Brother, do you even know how to drive?”

Chen Mo said with no small amount of swagger, “My driving skills aren’t far off from Jackie Chan’s.”

Chen Siyuan was a fan of action movies, and old films were often playing at home.

Chen Xiaomi liked watching them too and naturally knew who Jackie Chan was. Hearing this, she crinkled her nose and snorted, “You really love to brag!”

“Just you watch!”

Chen Mo purposely revved the engine loudly, making Chen Xiaomi scream.

In truth, he hadn’t even put it in gear; he was just joking.

When they actually got on the road, he drove fast but steadily. He wasn’t about to break traffic laws just to prove a point to his six-year-old sister.

In this country, one had to be a law-abiding, “good baby.”

The siblings bickered all the way as they drove toward a children’s theme park in the suburbs.

They had set out relatively late, and the park was already crowded.

After waiting in line for a long time to experience only two attractions, Chen Xiaomi became unhappy. Pouting, she said, “This is worse than playing at the park near our house. There’s no line there at all.”

Chen Mo also found it dull. He checked his phone and found a famous chain supermarket nearby.

“Let’s go shopping. I came back in such a hurry I didn’t have time to bring you guys any gifts.”

Chen Xiaomi jumped up happily again: “Okay, okay!”

The siblings diverted to the supermarket.

Chen Mo never lacked pocket money, and after completing several large contracts abroad, he had earned quite a bit. With money in his card, he didn’t hesitate when picking out items.

The older and younger siblings pushed a shopping cart, and after a casual lap around the store, the cart was stuffed to the brim.

After checking out, Chen Mo pushed the cart toward the parking lot. Passing by a children’s playground outside the mall, Chen Xiaomi pointed at the climbing wall and said, “I want to play on that!”

Chen Mo looked over. The climbing area wasn’t crowded, with only a few children waiting in line.

He agreed. “Go ahead then. Don’t wander off! I’ll put the things in the car and come back for you.”

Chen Xiaomi promised readily and ran over happily.

Chen Mo loaded the various goods into the trunk, returned the shopping cart, and came back to see that Chen Xiaomi was almost at the front of the line. Behind her stood a young boy about her height.

The climbing area had few people, as most children were on the other side of the ball pit where the play facilities were more abundant.

Chen Mo found a spot in the parents’ waiting area and sat down, pulling out his phone to play for a bit.

Everything was peaceful, as ordinary as any other day.

Suddenly, a strange ripple surged through the air.

Chen Mo quickly shoved his phone into his pocket and stood up. Following the direction of the ripple, he looked toward Chen Xiaomi, who was hopping around in line.

About four or five meters above and behind Chen Xiaomi, a pale hand suddenly appeared in mid-air. The hand was massive, with thick, long fingers and sharp, pitch-black nails.

The hand abruptly grabbed the little boy standing behind Chen Xiaomi and casually stuffed him into a bloody maw that appeared right after.

In less than a second, an incredibly eerie person appeared in the previously empty space.

No, it wasn’t a person. Perhaps it was better described as a monster!

The grotesque humanoid monster had an oversized head and a massive right hand and arm, while its body and left arm were relatively thin.

Its mouth looked like it had been sliced horizontally by a sharp weapon, splitting open all the way to the ears, nearly dividing its face in two. When its mouth opened fully, it easily swallowed a child about 1.2 meters tall in an instant.

It all happened too fast, and it was far too bizarre.

Chen Mo hadn’t even had time to react, watching helplessly as the monster swallowed the boy.

Chen Mo did indeed possess superpowers, but this was his first time encountering something like this. He never expected such a turn of events, which prevented him from intervening the moment it started.

Seeing the monster’s hand reach for Chen Xiaomi, Chen Mo finally snapped out of it. He lunged forward and grabbed that pale, grotesque hand.

The cold, slimy texture sent a wave of hair-raising terror through him.

The monster turned its head to look at Chen Mo. Its inhuman eyes had only pupils and no whites—pitch black and reflecting no light, as if they devoured everything they saw.

Chen Mo’s scalp tingled, but he didn’t dare let go. He violently yanked the monster and slammed it to the side.

Sensing the abnormality, Chen Xiaomi turned around and let out a terrified scream.

The scream drew the attention of others in the playground, triggering more screams and chaos.

Chen Mo couldn’t worry about anything else because the monster had already launched an attack. That massive right hand swung toward his face with lethal force. Chen Mo tilted his body slightly to dodge and threw a heavy punch into the monster’s bulging belly.

He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but the monster seemed to pause for a moment.

The next second, the monster bent over and let out an earth-shaking sound of vomiting.

The little boy who had been swallowed moments ago was actually vomited out. He was soaking wet and filthy, falling to the ground in a daze for a moment before bursting into a world-shaking cry.

Chen Mo: ???

What was going on?

Why was the swallowed child vomited out perfectly intact?

Because the scene was so abnormal, Chen Mo’s reaction was half a beat slow.

The monster, however, was beyond enraged and swung its fist at him again.

Chen Mo could clearly feel that this punch was different from the last one. He wasn’t sure if it was because the monster had been sluggish after eating the child earlier, making its movements slow enough to dodge easily.

After vomiting the child out, the monster became exceptionally agile.

Even with Chen Mo’s twice-evolved speed, he nearly failed to react in time.

The monster’s breath was ragged, and a low, dangerous growl emanated from its throat.

The muscles of its right arm, several times thicker than a normal human’s thigh, were taut. The massive fist struck directly at Chen Mo, the wind from the punch whistling as it tore through the air with world-destroying force.

Chen Mo narrowed his eyes, his body shifting slightly to narrowly evade the fatal blow.

The monster’s fist smashed into the ground behind him, sending stone fragments flying and kicking up a cloud of dust. Undeterred by the miss, it used the momentum to whip around and launch another punch at Chen Mo.

Chen Mo captured its intent the moment it moved, twisting his body again in a nimble dodge, his form moving like a blurred shadow.

He wasn’t in a hurry to counterattack. Instead, through repeated evasions, he continuously observed the monster’s attack patterns. Both sides moved faster and faster, until they were nearly impossible to track. Every swing from the monster carried a lethal threat, yet Chen Mo skillfully avoided them time and again, always finding a sliver of survival at the critical moment.

In just a few seconds, they had exchanged over a dozen rounds. The monster grew impatient. Its left hand, refusing to be outdone, lunged out while the right fist missed, trying to grab Chen Mo, but its speed was significantly inferior.

Chen Mo finally found his opening. Taking advantage of the moment the opponent swung wide once more, he leaped violently.

His body shot upward like an arrow from a bow, as light as a bird taking flight. Chen Mo surged into the air, clenching his fist tight as his muscles tensed. All his strength concentrated into his right fist at that moment. With a roar, his fist descended from the heavens with unparalleled power, smashing ruthlessly into the monster’s skull.

The massive impact left the monster with no way to dodge.

Chen Mo’s fist was like a meteor hitting the earth, striking the target dead-on. A loud boom echoed as the monster’s grotesque body collapsed. The oversized skull was crushed, and red and white brain matter splattered everywhere. The wind from the punch carved a massive crater into the ground.

Chen Mo landed steadily on the ground, but he couldn’t help hiding his striking hand behind his back and shaking it. It hurt!

He struggled to maintain a stoic expression, his sharp gaze sweeping the surroundings. He sensed that new threats seemed to have appeared nearby.

Meanwhile, the monster’s corpse lay not far away, completely motionless.

After the monster fell, several men wearing black uniforms quickly surrounded the area.

Chen Mo dashed to Chen Xiaomi’s side, wanting to reach out and comfort her. Seeing his blood-stained down jacket, he simply pulled it off, used it to wipe his hands, and tossed it aside.

Protecting Chen Xiaomi in his arms, he knit his brows and looked toward the men who had suddenly appeared.

These people didn’t attack Chen Mo. Instead, they surrounded him with complex expressions. The leader went to inspect the monster’s corpse, exchanged looks with the others, and spoke softly into a walkie-talkie.

His voice was quiet, so bystanders might not have heard, but Chen Mo heard it crystal clear.

He said: “Dead. Through and through.”

His tone carried a hint of obvious regret and disappointment.

Were they the monster’s accomplices? They didn’t look like it.

As Chen Mo was speculating, the leading man walked over and flashed an ID in front of him.

“Hello. We are Hunting Team One of the Heterodoxy Management Bureau. I am Vice Captain Zhang Tao. Which unit are you with?”

Chen Mo was full of confusion. Heterodoxy Management Bureau? He had never heard of it.

“I’m not with any unit.”

Zhang Tao frowned, his tone taking on a hint of displeasure.

He pointed at the monster’s corpse nearby. “Brother, we’ve been cornering this thing for a week. Higher-ups wanted it alive, and now you’ve killed it. I’m just asking for your unit; we’re all just doing our jobs. Give me some face, yeah?”

Chen Mo wasn’t an unreasonable person. Hearing this, he explained patiently, “I don’t understand what you’re talking about. I really don’t have a unit. I’m currently a university student who hasn’t graduated yet. Killing this monster was purely self-defense because it was going to eat my sister.”

Chen Xiaomi had been so scared she forgot to cry, but hearing this, she suddenly remembered and began wailing in her brother’s arms.

Zhang Tao: ???

Zhang Tao: !!!

He looked at Chen Mo and said, “You’re a Superpowered?”

Superpowered? Chen Mo thought to himself, was he referring to his abilities that exceeded normal human limits?

His instinct was to deny it, but then he realized that the process of him killing the monster had likely been seen clearly, so he didn’t bother explaining further.

Zhang Tao said with certainty, “To be able to kill this Split-Mouth Monster in such a short time, your rank is definitely not lower than B-class.”

Chen Mo’s heart stirred. So there were actually rankings for superpowers?

Zhang Tao added, “But you actually don’t have a unit?”

Chen Mo: “Is there a problem?”

Zhang Tao slapped his thigh and said excitedly, “A wild B+!”

Chen Mo frowned. What was this about domestic vs. wild?

Zhang Tao grabbed his right hand and whispered, “Brother! No, classmate, I see you’ve got great moves. How about it? Interested in joining the Heterodoxy Hunting Group?”

Chen Mo: ?

As they were talking, Chen Mo suddenly looked up toward a certain direction behind Zhang Tao.

A tall, cold-looking man walked over. He wore the same uniform as Zhang Tao, but his stiff posture and straight shoulders gave him a distinct air of sharpness. His deep gaze swept across the scene once before finally landing on Chen Mo.

Zhang Tao also saw him. “Captain, you’re here?”

The man addressed as Captain gave a brief “Mm,” and his oppressive gaze finally moved away from Chen Mo.

Zhang Tao introduced them with slight excitement: “This is our Hunting Team One Captain, Shen Junyao. This is… uh, little classmate, I don’t know your name yet?”

Chen Mo was interested in the superpower rankings Zhang Tao had mentioned. Thinking it would be good to establish a friendly connection for future inquiries, he cooperated and gave his name: “I’m Chen Mo.”

“Right, right, Chen Mo. Captain, Student Chen doesn’t have a unit yet, and we’re short on people, aren’t we? Why not let him give it a try?”

Shen Junyao looked at Chen Mo and asked, “Well? Do you want to join?”

Chen Mo only wanted to find out about the superpower ranks; he had little interest in joining this Heterodoxy Management Bureau unit.

After all, he planned to go abroad in a few days.

Chen Mo’s hesitation was obvious.

Shen Junyao’s eyes flickered. He looked at the slightly disappointed Zhang Tao and said, “Give him a business card. If he changes his mind later, he can contact you.”

“Right, right!” Zhang Tao fumbled in his pockets, only to realize he didn’t have any business cards. He scratched his head and said to Chen Mo, “How about we exchange phone numbers?”

Chen Mo agreed.

Zhang Tao recited a string of digits, and Chen Mo pulled his phone from his pocket to dial it directly.

“Great, we’ll be in touch then.”

Shen Junyao had his hands in his pockets. He gestured with his chin toward the corpse of the Split-Mouth Monster and instructed Zhang Tao, “Take that back.”

Zhang Tao agreed, but after taking two steps, he remembered something and looked back toward Chen Mo.

Shen Junyao understood and said, “I’ll handle the rest.”

Zhang Tao then walked away, relieved.

Chen Mo also wanted to take his sister and leave, but Shen Junyao stepped closer and blocked the siblings.

Chen Mo: “Is there anything else?”

Shen Junyao was tall. From a distance it was fine, but up close, Chen Mo had to tilt his head slightly to look him in the eye.

This made Chen Mo feel a bit uncomfortable.

Shen Junyao explained, “Bureau regulations. It’s for your sister’s mental well-being. I need to clear her memory of what just happened.”

Clear her memory? That didn’t sound like a good thing.

Naturally, Chen Mo disagreed.

“Don’t be afraid.” Shen Junyao’s tone was calm but left no room for refusal. He reached out and stroked Chen Xiaomi’s head. A colorless, odorless mist-like substance diffused from his palm and sank into her hair.

“This is a substance we extracted from the skin of the deep-sea heterodoxy ‘Singer.’ It can isolate and clear memories related to heterodoxies from the human brain without causing any damage to other memories.”

Chen Mo didn’t quite believe that such an intelligent substance existed.

Then, he belatedly realized that he couldn’t move at all. He just stood there and let this Captain Shen delete his sister’s memory.

“Until we meet again, Student Chen.”

Chen Mo’s arm felt heavy as Chen Xiaomi fell asleep in his embrace.

When he snapped out of it, he realized that Shen Junyao and the men who had appeared earlier were gone. The surroundings had returned to their orderly state.

By the climbing wall, the instructor had his head up, observing a child’s posture on the wall and occasionally calling out safety reminders.

The little boy who had been vomited out was now perfectly clean. He looked a bit dazed for a moment, glancing around as if wondering where the little girl in front of him had gone. After recovering, he trotted forward to the front of the line.

The Split-Mouth Monster’s corpse was gone, the shattered floor tiles were restored, and the splattered blood had vanished without a trace. The ball pit and the distant playground were filled with laughter and joy. Even Chen Mo’s discarded, blood-stained down jacket was sitting neatly on a table in the waiting area, soft and white as new.

It was as if nothing had happened at all.

Chen Mo looked at the call log on his phone. He knew clearly that it wasn’t that nothing happened—it was just that every trace had been perfectly erased.

How miraculous.

The Heterodoxy Management Bureau?

Interesting.